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Using Surplus to Feed a Hungry World.

With a heart for feeding the hungry I recently began to do some research on local food and aid organizations. I came across an organization called ‘Gleaners’. After stumbling across their website I was in complete awe. I sent out an email to the manager and a few days later I found myself touring the facility and connecting with volunteers.

Photo source: Gleaners website.

Their Mission

“The Ontario Christian Gleaners is an Interdenominational Christian organization that seeks to visibly demonstrate God’s love and grace by working with volunteers to collect, process, and make available surplus agricultural produce for the relief of the hungry in overseas nations.” – Mission Statement, Ontario Gleaners.

So what is ‘Gleaners’?

‘Gleaners’ is a volunteer driven organization, with over 1100 donated hours each week. Each day, the volunteers trim 5000+ pounds of donated vegetables from farms and factories, providing the ingredients for 30,000 servings of soup. The trimmed vegetables are diced and then dried in a dehydration oven – later to be combined with other ingredients to constitute the soup mix. The soup is donated to partner organizations who have the necessary infrastructure for effective distribution, who are committed to sustainability and development, and who combine the gospel message with humanitarian aid.

Side note: The vegetables are inspected by volunteers and all inedible pieces of the vegetables are discarded. But the discarded pieces do not go to waste, no, they are made into animal feed. No waste! Everything is used!

Donors

The Gleaners are supported entirely by donations. From the fresh and dried products that make their soup mixes to the funding for operating expenses. Donation and support comes from individuals, businesses, community groups and churches.

Photo source: Gleaners website.

Get involved

Volunteer:

Volunteers of all ages are welcome. There are jobs available to suit everyone.
Gleaners operates Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 12:00pm.

Donate:

The Gleaners are looking for farms, produce packaging and distribution companies and processing plants willing to donate their surplus and non-marketable produce to help feed a hungry world.

The Ontario Christian Gleaners is 100% donor driven. Supported by individual, church, and corporate donations. All funds donated are used to operate and maintain the facility.